The present disclosure relates to a readout controlling device configured to read out information from a storage device, and an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet.
Generally, a variety of consumable units are removably provided in an image forming apparatus. An example of the consumable unit is a toner container used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an image is formed on a sheet using toner supplied from the toner container.
In the image forming apparatus, the consumable unit may be managed using RFID (Radio Count Identification) technology. Specifically, an RFID tag that is a storage device including a storage medium on its inside where information can be read from and written to, is provided on the toner container. The information includes identification information relating to the toner container. The information in the storage device is generally read out by a readout controlling device of a control device or the like in the image forming apparatus. Specifically, at a predetermined readout timing, the readout controlling device transmits a readout request to the RFID tag via a reader portion. The readout controlling device receives a piece of information read out from the RFID tag via the reader portion, and determines whether or not the toner container is a genuine product based on the piece of information.
Generally, a data transmission path is provided between the reader portion and the readout controlling device. If noise is superposed on the data transmission path, an error can occur in the piece of information. Accordingly, the readout controlling device is configured to determine whether or not the error has occurred in the piece of information. If the readout controlling device determines that the error has occurred, the readout controlling device transmits a retransmission request to the RFID tag, and receives the piece of information again.